Bipartisan Bill Would Impose New Annual Fee on Electric Vehicles

Congress may require owners of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars to pay an annual fee to cover their share of the cost to repair roads, which could further depress sales of those models.

Last year, Congress eliminated subsidies worth up to $7,500 for electric vehicle purchases and leases, causing sales to slump. A bipartisan bill introduced this week would go further, imposing a fee of $130 for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrids, which can travel short distances on battery power but also have combustion engines.